Locking device for drive bushings



L. J. BLACK May 13, 14930.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR DRIVE BUSHINGS Filed 'April 2e, 1929 'l 2Sheets-Sheet l CINTO: w14

May 13, 930. J. BLACK v 1,758,426

LOCKING DEVICE FOR DRIVE BUSHINGS Filed April 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Eig-5- fl/W Patented MayA 13,1930

UNITED Vsre'rl-:sy

LEE J. BLACK, F

BEAUMONT, TEXAS LOCKING :DEVICE FOR DRIVE BUSHIGS Application filedApril 26 This invention relates to grief stem drive bushings and moreparticularly to a means for locking the grief stem drive bushing to theintermediate bushing or inner table secl tion or rotary well drillingapparatus.

A11 important object of the invention isto provide an efficient latchingmeans for connecting the griet stern drive bushing and the intermediatebushings of rotary well drill- 10. ing apparatus which is of suchcharacter that it may be readily released to permitanr dependent removalof the drive bushing2 or may be employed in lifting the intermediatebushing'or a portion thereof as set forth 1n my copending applicationSerial No. 358,416,

led Apr. 26, 1929.

A further object of the invention is the provision in apparatus of thischaracter of a construction such that over-flow or leakage water orslush may be directed through the table and passed to thebore of thewell about the bushing. y f

A still further objectofthe invention is to provide an apparatus of thischaracter which z5ma be readily and cheaply manufactured, which will bedurable and efficient in service, and ageneral improvement in the art.

These and other objects struction shown in the accompanying drawingswherein for the purpose of illustration I have shown a preferredembodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 .is a plan view showinstem drive bushing and intermediate bushing connected by a lockconstructed in accordance with my.v invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation partially in section thereof;

Figure 3 is 4 ure 2.;

Figure 4 is a view-f, of the grief stem drive bushing removed Figure 5is a section on line 5^5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 through the upper; portion o ate bushing. t .x Referring nowmore particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 generally designatesthe inner section of an' intermediate a section on line 3--3 of Fig- 45is a fragmentary sectional view Iiattain by the cong 17 g. a grief f theintermedi- 1929. serial No. 358,414.

drive bushing -which may 'conveniently be the inner section of a drivebushing of the character illustrated inmy copending application-aboveidentiied.

These intermediate bushings are formed with a polygonal opening 11forthe reception of a polygonal shoulder. .formed upon the grief stemdrive bushing, which is generally designate ima downwardly tapering boreindicated at 13. In accordance withmy invention, this bore at a pointimmediately below the polygonal opening is formed with a circumferentialroove designated at 14, this groovebeing pre erably V-shaped. e bushingis Jformed in- The grief stem driv termediate its ends with a polygonalsection i within and fit in the 15 adapted to engage polygonal opening11 of bushing 10. The lower portion of this bushd at 12, and thisopening terminates the intermediate ing is constructed to iitf'theopening/13 andi from a point immediately beneath the po1ygonal section15 -to apoint adjacent tobut spaced from its lower end, is providediwithvertically extending grooves 16, which serve to reduce the vweightthereof and to produce substantially radially extending ribs Suchbushings are usually formed in two sections and in accordance with myinvention each section is provided with an opening 18 through thepolygonal portion 15 irnmediately above the groove 16. The lower end ofthis o eningcommunicates with the 'y groove 16, w ile the u er endthereof com- 4municates with a groove 19 formed in the upper portion ofthe bushing section. Between the upper ends ofthe rib 17 which areassociated with the opening 18, I pivot as at 20, a lever 21 whichextends upwardly through the opening 18 and has at its-lower end anangular shoulder 22 to engage in the groove 14 of the intermediatebushing when the lever is swung outwardly. A spring 24 e constantlyurges 'this lever outwardlyfto provide for this engagement.

The shoulder-22 is disposed above 4the lower end of the lever and whenengaged With the wall of groove 14 is disposed outwardly of the pivot20, with the result that any pressure tendingA to lift the bushing whilethe levers 241 are in their outer posltion. will tend to cause thelevers to swing outwardly to a greater extent, and thus tend to increasethe grip exercised by thelevers upon the intermediate bushing. It will,however, be obvious that by simply engaging the upper ends of levers 21and swinging them inwardly so that they extend into the recess 19 theseleverswill befreed from the grooves with the result that the drivebushing may be readily removed` in order that splashiwater and slushcollecting about the drive bushing may be carried away without passingover the top of the rotary table, of, which the structure justdescribed. is a part. I connect the lower ends of the groove 16, whichare associated with A I the openings 18, with the lower ends ofthe.wardly into-the well.

drive bushing by grooves 25, with the result that any water which tendsto collect about the drive bushing and pass downwardly through the spacebetween the drive bushing and the intermediate bushingwill pass to thegroove 14 and from this groove find its way through the groove 16 andports 25 to the bot-tom ofthe drive bushing from which it may pass down-Since-.the construction employed is obvious- I ly capable of a veryconsiderable range of change and modification without in any man-l 'nerdeparting from the spirit of the invention, I accordingly do notlimitmyself to such specific Astructure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim :-fv 1. In means for locking a 4grief stem drive bushing Atointermediate bushings, and in combinationwith a grief stem drive bushingand an intermediate bushing having nesting .engagement with one anotherand held against relative rotation when in engagement, the intermediatebushing `having a horizontal groove formed therein, levers pivoted tos'aid grief 'stem drive bushing and having parts to engage in the grooveof the intermediate lbushing when the levers are moved in one direction,and springs substantially urging said levers in said direction.

2. In means for locking a grief stem drive bushing to intermediatebushings, and in combination with a grief stem drive bushing `and anintermediate bushing having nesting engagement with one anotherand heldagainst relative rotation when in engagement, the intermediate bushinghaving a horizontal groove formed therein, levers pivoted to said griet1stem drive bushing and having parts to engage in the groove of theintermediate lbushing 'when the levers are moved in one direction, andsprings substantially urging'said levers in said direction, the griefstem drive bushing, being provided With grooves -in which the lower endsof said levers are pivoted and having openings formed through the upperportions thereof through `which said levers are directed, the lower endsof the grooves being connected to the lower end'of the bushing b ports.

l3. In means for loc ing4 agrief stem drive bushing to intermediatebushings, and in combination with a grief stem drive bushing and anintermediate bushing having nesting engagement with one another and heldagainst relative rotation when in engage' ment, the intermediate bushinghaving a horlzontal groove formed therein, levers pivoted to said griefstem drive bushing and having parts to engage in the groove of theintermediate bushing when the levers are moved 1n one dlrection, andsprings substantially urging sald levers 1n said direction,

-the pivots of said levers lying inwardly of and below the grooveengaging portions thereof.

4. In means for locking a grief stem drive bushing to intermediatebushings, and in combination witha grief stem drive bushing and anintermediate bushing-having nesting engagement with one another and heldvagainst relative rotation when in engagement,f the intermediate bushinghaving a l horizontal groove formed therein, levers-pivoted to saidgrief stem drive bushing andv having parts to engage in the groove ofthe.

intermediate bushing when the levers are moved in one direction andsprings substantially-urging sai'd levers in said direction, the griefstem drive bushing being provided with grooves in which the lower endsof said levers are pivoted and having openings 'formed' through4 theupper portions thereof through which said levers'- are directed, thelower ends of the grooves being connected -to the lower end ofthebushing by ports, the

pivots of said levers lying inwardly of and below the groove engagingportions thereof.

5. In combination, an intermediate bushing having a polygonal openingformed therein and having a tapered bore leading downwardly from theopening, the wall of the bore immediately below the lower end of theopening having a circumferential V- shaped groove, a grief stem drivebushing having its lower end adapted to tit within'the tapered bore Aandhaving lintermediate its ends a polygonal shoulder for engagement in theopening of the intermediate bushing,

6.v In combination, an intermediate bushing having a polygonal openingformed therein and having a tapered bore leadin downwardly from theopening, the wall o the bore immediately below the lowed end of theopening having a circumferential V- shaped groove, a grief stem drivebushing having its lower end adapted to fit within the tapered bore andhaving intermediate its ends a polygonal shoulder for engagement in theopening of the intermediate bushing, the wall of the drive bushingbeneath said polygonal portion having grooves, the polygonal portionhaving openin s aligning with said grooves, levers pivote within said`grooves and extending through the openings of the polygonal portions,shoulders on said levers adapted to engage in thegroove of theintermediate bushing when the upper ends of the levers are outwardlydisposed, and springs for constantly urging zo the upper ends of thelevers outwardly, the pivots of the levers lying inwardly of and belowthe groove engaging portionsithereof. In'testirnony whereof I ailix mysignature.

LEE J. BLACK.

